MORE than 100 jobs and four departments at Bangor University could be under threat as it strives to find cash savings.

Senior officers at the university have put forward proposals to close four departments and the subsequent loss of jobs.

The scheme has been drawn up as the university tries to cope with a funding shortfall.

The departments under threat are Religious Studies, Linguistics, Social Sciences and Modern Languages.

The move has sparked fears that closure could threaten Welsh language courses at the university.

Sources at the university confirmed there had been disagreements between the council and the executive board over the nature of the proposals and its possible effects on the Welsh language.

An insider said: "We feel such these moves go too and tThe council has asked the board to set out their proposals fully on paper before the matter is considered again."

Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymreag (Welsh Language Society) officers fear closing the departments could not only weaken Welsh language education at Bangor but the future of a Welsh medium Federal College.

A spokesman said: "We are concerned by the proposals and have made a Freedom of Information request to the university to find out exactly how many students follow their courses in the Welsh language in the threatened departments."

A Bangor University spokeswoman said: "Like all universities, we have been considering our future academic direction and the current economic situation.

"No decisions have been taken, and the university council has agreed to consider the issues again over the coming months.

"In relation to Welsh language provision, the university remains committed to enhancing opportunities through the medium of Welsh. We are considering new initiatives to increase Welsh medium teaching and learning at Bangor which already has the largest provision of any university in Wales."

The university was told last March its funding will be cut by £840,000 this year.

It will receive £32.14m from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) in the coming financial year, down from the £32.98m it received this year.

Staff at the university were warned "severe financial pressures" had forced a search for £5m in cash savings.

The university is one of Bangor’s largest employers with a 2,000 strong workforce.

Closing departments would also hit student numbers with a knock-on effect on the Gwynedd economy.